How to pace yourself at the Sheraton on the Park Lunar Year buffet

The first thing you see when you walk into the Sheraton on the Park’s Signature restaurant, Feast is the vibrant colours of the fresh seafood station, ladened with crayfish, oysters, prawns, salmon and more oysters resting below the bright red lanterns up above. Even if that was the only thing at the Sheraton on the Park’s Chinese New Year special themed buffet dining, I would be very content.

The new Lunar Year means sharing food with family and friends, and in a big way. At the Sheraton’s buffet, you do not have to worry about whether what’s on your plate is enough. The tricky part is to ensure you don’t eat too much food and not leaving enough room in your stomach for the good stuff. Our brains are trained on “3 course menu” type mentality and so it goes, “OK I’ll start with the cold salads first, then do the hot food, and then desserts”. You start with the cold food and before you know it you are too full to eat anything else. Food should be eaten mindfully, not inhaled when you are at a buffet like the Sheraton on the Park. Plan what you want to taste as there are a world of flavours available.

So what I normally do is walk around the buffet, see what’s on offer (and taking some happy snaps along the way) and making a note of what I wanted to taste. Seafood station was the first thing I noted mentally as something I would go back to for more than one serving. As much as I like salads, other dishes were more tempting like the delicious Peking Duck pancakes, traditional Chinese soup and hot dishes and fresh sushi rolls that I wanted to try. Then there is the dessert station loaded with colourful cakes and sweets.

The key is to eat enough to ‘taste’ not to eat enough until you are so full you feel sick to enjoy anything else. I’ve witnessed many family members in this position, head rested on the table for the rest of the lunch or dinner due to food overdose, too quickly, waiting until everyone else has finished. So take your time and pace yourself. There is plenty there and plenty of time, you just need to control your mind which I know is hard when visually you see all the wonderful colours of food laid out in front of you like a Harry Potter banquet.

The Chinese New Year themed buffet is on from now until 28 February for lunch and dinner starting from $79 per person.

For further information or to make a reservation please contact Feast Restaurant on 02 9286 6000 or email dining.sydney@sheraton.com or go to the website for more details.

King Hei Fat Choi and may you have a happy and prosperous Year of the Monkey!